How Often Are You Checking Your Deed for Fraud

Oh, so you aren't doing that.

I hear you.

I don’t think it’s something any of us want to do. Who wants another item to add to their to-do list.

Besides, sometimes I really just want to stick my head in the sand and not have to deal with stuff. I want a break from ridiculous goings-on and messes that scammers and fraudsters start every day.

But that’s not the way the world works.

So, here we are. . .with me talking about deed fraud or mortgage fraud.

THE VERSION YOU’RE NOT PREPARED FOR

If you’re new to my newsletter, then you probably don’t know that I have a YouTube channel, and I talk about about scams and frauds. I also talk about how to protect yourself.

A while back I shared a video about a property owner who didn’t realize that a scammer had taken out a loan and used the property owner’s property as security for the loan.

Of course, the scammer received the loan funds and never paid the loan.

The lender foreclosed for failure to pay, and property owner was caught by surprise.

Imagine being told that you have received a loan on your property and that you didn’t pay it, and now you’re going to lose your property.

That’s how one version of deed fraud works.

THE QUESTIONS WE BOTH HAVE

Now, if you’re like me, you probably have a few questions.

1. Didn’t the scammer have to have the documents notarized and show identification?

2. Was this an in-person process?

3. Was the notary in on the scam, or was the notary faked by the scammer also?

4. Did the property owner receive notice on the failure to pay, and if so, what did the property owner do?

5. How can the lender foreclose on a property if the whole thing is fake?

You remember Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. . .the guy who owned the property in Memphis called Graceland.

Well, earlier this year someone tried to pull a similar type of “fraud.”

I put the word in quotations because there are still questions about what happened. At this point, I believe the Tennessee Attorney General has turned the case over to the feds.

IF DEED FRAUD CAN HAPPEN TO ELVIS’ GRACELAND. . .

Don’t think this can’t happen to you.

In some jurisdictions, you can sign up to receive alerts so that you’ll know when a lien has been filed against your property.

This is something that my local jurisdiction recently provided. Our deeds are handled by our Register of Deeds office.

So, I’ll be signing up for this, or I’ll at least put it on my to-do list.

If you don’t have this option, here are a few things that you can do:

• Check with your Register of Deeds office regularly to see if there are filings relating to you or your property.

• Don’t sign documents that you haven’t read or had a lawyer review with you.

• If someone approaches you about getting a home equity loan or any other loan, read the documents, ask questions, and conduct your research on them.

• Open and read all of your mail, even mail from lenders that you don’t have accounts with. This could alert you to fraud early.

• Attend any court hearings and respond to any notices relating to fraud on your property. Don’t put your head in the sand and think that because it’s fake, you don’t have to respond. You have to respond if you want to keep your property. You may even have to hire an attorney to fight on your behalf.

• Check your credit report regularly. This could also alert you to fraudulent accounts that have been opened in your name.

I know that some of this sounds simple and easy to do, like reading through the documents.

But even that might not help you, if you don’t understand what you’re reading.

So, don’t feel ashamed about asking questions or getting help when you need it.

Be safe out there.

You can watch two of my videos about deed and mortgage fraud here and here.

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Ms Legalista is a blog to help people keep their hard-earned money in their pockets and out of the hands of scammers. It is a product of Shelia A. Huggins, PLLC, a North Carolina licensed law firm. This blog contains links to affiliates. If you purchase something through one of those links, Shelia A. Huggins, PLLC may receive a commission.

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